Surviving the Holidays - Part 2

One way I survive the holidays well is to have tried and true recipes that I pull out year after year for dinners, parties and when I need a dish to take. During the holidays I might try one or two new recipes just for fun, but never at the last minute and always with the understanding that it's for our own consumption (unless it turns out to be one of those special things that I just have to add to my favorites file).

For company I have a few meals that are simple as far as prep go but special as far as taste and presentation. My favorite company meal is grilled chicken, roasted vegetables, salad and dessert.

Grilled Chicken

Count one breast or 2 other pieces per person. I like boneless pieces for adults and throw in legs for children. The night before or earlier in the day flatten breasts and boneless thighs with a meat mallet. Place meat in bowl and pour over marinade or your choice (I use lemon or lime juice, olive oil, and some herbs and salt and pepper). Marinade meat for several hours. The secret to wonderful chicken is to ONLY cook it until it is done and remove it promptly. Cooked chicken is no longer pink, but does have clear running juices. Dark meat can be cooked longer without getting tough because it has more natural moisture. Some people suggest that you learn how a done piece of chicken "feels" when tapped with a spatula or tongs. A raw piece has lots of give or bounce a done piece feels firm when tapped. A very firm piece is over cooked.

Roasted Vegetables

Use 1 small potato per person or 1 sweet potato per 2 people. Chop potatoes and vegetables of you choice into bite sized pieces (I use carrots, onions, peppers, Chinese eggplant, green beans and asparagus and place in a bowl (I do the green beans and asparagus separately). Drizzle olive oil over and a good pinch of any herbs you want to use (I use an Italian herb mix most of the time). Toss everything until all are coated with oil. Transfer to cookie sheets (use two if you are doing more than 4 to 6 servings). Sprinkle salt and pepper over. Bake at 400 degrees about 45 minutes and then add any soft veggie like green beans, asparagus or summer squash to roast for an additional 15 minutes. If you like everything really caramelized add 10-20 minutes.

Dessert

For this time of year I'd do something hot. A great quick, fool proof desert is baked pears or apples w/ cream. All you do is core the fruit (McIntosh & granny smith are good varieties of apples to use) and place on a buttered cookie sheet (you may need to trim the bottom of pears so they will stand up) fill core cavity with cinnamon and sugar and bake during dinner at 350 degrees. Remove from oven after about 1/2 hour (fruit will be soft) and place on dessert plates or in bowls. Drizzle cream over and serve with a spoon.